The Wall represents the isolation and alienation of the character Pink and most of the songs are based off part of Roger Waters life and Pink Floyd’s original guitarist
When the band went on tour with The Wall in 1979-80, the album was performed in its entirety from beginning to end just as you're listening to it here. Except that during the live performances a 35 ft high wall that stretched the width of the arena was slowly constructed across the stage completely walling off the band from the audience by the end of side 2 (goodbye goodbye goodbye). The first track of side three.. "Hey You" is performed completely behind the wall as the audience is subjected to nightmarish animation projected on the front of wall. The story in a nutshell is about a rockstar slowly losing his mind, and the things (bricks), in his life that led up to it, and we the audience are brought along for the ride. 🥺 Nice job 👍
The main protagonist of the story, Pink, is an amalgam of sorts of lyricist and co-vocalist Roger Waters who lost his father in world war II, (thus the war sounds) and co-founder Syd Barrett who lost his mind in the late 60s and had to be removed from the group.
Your reaction to Don't Leave Me Now is actually a mood, I remember being stunned after listening to it, one of the best moments in their entire discography, loved the video!!
22:56 the song you're referring to is called What Shall We Do Now and was sadly cut out of the album. I would love to see you react to it! It also has an extended version of Empty Spaces to go with it.
From 1980 rock stations understanding how Pink Floyd likes to build up their tracks to flow into preceded tracks like "Young Lust" (if not radio stations in the 1980s cleverly tagged it in front of Young Lust to make it adequately longer to play as a hard rock more complete tune). I think it added a beginning to "Young Lust" track vs just being immersed into that track in a noticeable jerk "Where are all the good times! ..." suddenness Pink Floyd never orchestrated before starting with words before building up, especially that first 14 minutes in tracks (ignoring Animals album of 1977 where each track was individualized) of the album "Wish You Were Here" of 1975. Our local radio stations didn't start off on the short brief track to start at lyrics except played all 14 minutes before the change in tune of "Welcome To The Machine (or The Machine)" track on side 1, completing the side 1 of "Wish You Were Here" album. We had really into it rock stations in heavy metal to be fair to other rock artists played back to back songs of theirs ... But additionally added to following "Young Lust" with "Run Like Hell" to be more like a three part set of tracks flowing into each other that other heavy metal rock artists also had done by radio stations trying to figure out the artist for music listeners over the air ways (boom boxes to car radios included).
"Goodbye cruel world" is Pink finishing the Wall by successfully alienating himself from all of those around him. The Wall is a metaphor for all of the "bricks" or hardships that have effected Pink and led him to isolate himself from others. Examples of the "bricks" are his father flying across the ocean leaving just a memory, his mother being over protective, abusive schooling, etc. After taking a woman home (one of my turns) he becomes violent and causes her to leave him alone where he sings "dont leave me now." He concludes in pt3 that he doesnt need anyone's help or any medications help so he seals himself inside the Wall alone and says farewell. Until disc 2..
If you like their more introspective stuff, you should definitely listen to Wish You Were Here next. It’s by far their spaciest, most melancholic album.
Yessss! Great to see you're back doing reactions again my man, and especially with a behemoth masterpiece album like this. I think one album you should definitely react to would be Mezzanine by Massive Attack. You want the most unique sound, tasteful bass/guitar tones, so many textures, groovy and badass af (you're guaranteed to make a stank face at least once), and absolutely full production? Boom, it's perfect for you. Don't worry too, it's not some extremely wack Avant Garde experimental stuff that's an acquired taste, it was a pretty big hit in the 90's, with many big singles (also, how this album came out in the 90's in genuinely mind blowing, and more so since it was a big hit, you wouldn't get something like this popular today, and especially also that nothing that's been released since sounds even remotely like it, if it came out tomorrow it'd sound totally new and fresh)
It’s about roger losing his dad in the war, his over bearing mother, the abuse of education system, fame of being a rockstar, turning into an asshole, being drugged out…building a metaphoric wall around him from other people…then being condemned for his sins at the end.
I loved your Dark Side Of The Moon reaction, you're very honest about what you like and don't like about the music which few reactions channels have. I haven't watched the video yet but I know it's gonna be great :D
I’m totally involved in observing your reactions to the thoughts and impressions this piece draws from you. The album was released just days following my 20th birthday. Now, all these years later, it follows me, reminding me of who I am, who I was, and who I have not yet become. I was 👍🏻 #420 and comment #69. Whatever that means it’s peculiar. 😅
You should give The Final Cut (1983) a listen. It's primarily written by Waters and is basically The Wall pt. 2. In fact, at least 3 of the songs on Final Cut were written for the Wall but ended up not making the "cut" (haha). It's very polarizing with it's anti-war, personal theme, but it's no doubt a genius piece of work. It was the last piece of work Rogers helped make in Pink Floyd, and he ended up leaving the band in '87 or so.
between The Happiest Days of Our Lives and Another Brick in The Wall Part 2, when he said "oh, a two song buildup!" I was like "Buddy, you don't even know what's coming."
So the 'Wall' is the mental distance and isolation that the character 'Pink' (who is kind of like Roger Waters - who wrote the album. And who is played by Bob Geldof in the film) puts between him and the rest of the world. The record walks through his life - from losing his father on world war two; a hard time at school; an over protective mother; a hedonistic teenage & young adulthood as a rockstar and; a failed marriage. All of these experiences he sees retrospectively as 'bricks in the Wall' that are making him more and more isolated. 'goodbye cruel world' is him completing the wall and hiding away behind it. From then we see his isolation and regrets but inability to reach out beyond the wall, and his descent into warped, poisonous and tyrannical thought patterns in his isolation. Finally he puts himself on trial - recognising perhaps that he can't keep blaming his mother or his ex-wife or anyone else for his own actions. He demands of himself that he 'tear down the Wall' and try to find his way back to the world.
Young Lust is definitely one of my favorite Pink Floyd songs and probably my favorite off this album for sure, with Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2 leading close behind.
Dark Side, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall are the four best rock albums ever, in my opinion. All by the same band, which is just ridiculous when you think about it. Each of those albums should be listened to as one long song. They are stories that tie together. The Wall in particular, some of the songs are very short, and meant to be listened to in the context of the entire album. I love how Pink Floyd still speaks to people of all ages, and they always will.
2 singers - writer and bass player Roger Waters is the more unique less conventional, and guitar hero David Gilmour sings the smoother more typical sounding vocals - they are about 65/35 David through the band history (even keyboardist Richard Wright has solo parts twice on Dark Side and they all harmonize consistently). This album features Roger more than any other. In side 2 high light "Comfortably Numb" is the easiest example as Roger sings the verses and David the Chorus sections. I can see how confusing it would be without knowing that.
Finally, if you are floored by the arrangements in The Wall, give the album Wish You Were Here a try. It's their tribute album to Syd Barret. It is amazing.
The Wall is that emotional wall you put up to make sure you don't get hurt by the world...through the album our protagonist learns to keep people at arms reach by his teachers and mother and by disc 2 he's already pretty bad off looking for filling that void with drugs and women which only serves to have him withdraw even more to the point of madness.
You need to listen to the Final Cut album it’s very much a part 2 to the wall but a very different feel much darker and emotional. Many people hate it and many people love it
While the movie is pretty cool (and I should give it another watch, sometime) my favorite Pink Floyd album is Wish You Were Here. Also, Animals has a strange groove that I like a lot.
Young man you have to watch the Movie the Wall.. and then revisit the album until you truly understand that it's the story of a man who's father died in the wat. He was raised by an over protective mom and in a school system that further caused him to put up walls.. protective walls to keep people out, and then later on in life as he amended to great heights as a Rock star he decended into chemically addicted abyss leading to depression and mental illness. Soon his wife leaves him for another man and he has a psychotic break and destroying his apartment into tiny pieces of rubble. Eventually he has gone so far into his mental illness that he uses his Rock star status to build an accult like following of fans. Eventually he is left Ina catatonic state of clinical madness
If you approach this for the first time, you'd do better to watch the MOVIE alongside it. Waters in a self biographical way paints a picture of the different stages of development of British youth from WWII until the '80s. I'd say you need to do that.
Animals is another amazing Floyd album, people always talk about the big three of Dark side, wish you were here and The Wall but Animals is a match in my opinion
The weirdest change in bpm in one song I've heard is probably Metallica's "Harvester of Sorrows". I'd like you to react to that one. And perhaps their "Master of Puppets" as well.
Your going to have to watch Pink Foyd the wall "the Movie" it will explain everything and you'll will be reviled and you will awaken like neo from the Matrix my brother
That is why I comment badly on your musical taste. This and Taylor Swift never ever could be together in a playlist. And you called me pretentious Radiohead fan in a video and showed my comment in the beginning. Bro i just wanted to let you know there are amazing music pieces out there waiting to be discovered both from past and from modern times So don't waste your time on poppy musicians and albums, get deep and lost in the music from different, weird, unique genres. Respect still ;)
the big four albums are all great, everyone has different opinions, it’s on if the reasons of what makes pink floyd so great, and in my opinion, the wall is their best album
@@pierceely1197 yes. But that album also has some of Roger’s strongest lyrics. It seems people either despise that album or adore it. I’m in the latter group
@blodgettshouseofinsanity3635 I totally love The Final Cut, it's depressing at the same time quite uplifting. It was Roger at his lyrical peak and Gilmour had some great solos on "Your Possible Pasts", "The Fletcher Memorial Home" and the title track.
The movie doesn't answer Pink Floyd's sudden jerk of radio stations not starting that track out with "Young Lust" to not precede it with "Empty Spaces like here (I think shorter version of What Shall We Do track)" and then do back to back Pink Floyd with "Run Like Hell" radio listeners of the 1980s had to sequentially listen to as a 3-piece orchestral hard rock tracks. Maybe it was the Hard Rock D.Js. that orchestrated it vs Pink Floyd changing it for the movie version + tacking on "Run Like Hell" right after the second track "Young Lust!"
The Wall is a pseudo autobiographical story told by Roger Waters about his life. His father died in WWII on the front lines in Anzio, and that is the sound of planes you hear, followed by the sound of a baby crying which was a young Waters who was 2 years old when his father died. The film begins with a song that doesn't appear on the album titled "When the Tigers Broke Free" about the death of his father (Tigers being German Tiger tanks). The other band members asked it be left off the album because it was too personal.
Another brick in the wall pt I is easily the best thing on that album, is so atmospheric and tasteful.. yet is full of emotion and significance for the album.
I know last time I posted 5 long comments because you listening to Pink Floyd got me excited. I will just say for an incredible insight on the band and the albums you HAVE to check out JTCurtis’s album reviews